Goalkeepers certainly got the better of the opening day of the new season, with only three goals scored from the first seven games, rising to twelve by the end of the weekend. That meant there were clean sheets (in chronological order) for Kameni (Málaga), Beto (Sevilla), Lux (Deportivo), Rulli (Real Sociedad), Pau López (Espanyol), Oblak (Atlético), Toño (Rayo Vallecano), Mat Ryan (Valencia), Bravo (Barcelona), Cuéllar (Sporting Gijón) and Keylor Navas (Real Madrid), eleven in total.

As far as we know Australia's Ryan was the only one of those to make his debut in La Liga, although elsewhere Raúl Lizoain (Las Palmas) and Areola (Villarreal) also played their first games in the Spanish top flight. Lizoain was given a start as new signing Javi Varas was suspended, as was Celta’s Sergio Alvarez, Rubén Blanco stepping in but having to go off with an injury late on, and B team keeper Nestor replacing him for the last five minutes.

Leaving us this year are Getafe’s Codina and Jonathan, both of whom have gone to Greece, Granada’s Roberto and Villarreal’s Juan Carlos, who drop a division to play for Lugo and Albacete respectively, Levante’s on loan Diego Mariño, who returns to Valladolid, and of course Iker Casillas, who finally bowed to pressure and has taken up an offer from Porto. Espanyol’s Kiko Casilla has been brought in to replace him, although Real Madrid could still sign Manchester United’s De Gea before next week’s transfer window deadline, in which case Navas may have to move on. ( 25.08.15 )